The Sixth Case (1)

I lean forward in my chair, the leather creaking softly beneath me. My eyes are fixed on Detective Lee as she stands before us in the cramped room.

The air is thick with tension and the faint scent of stale coffee. I can feel the weight of expectation pressing down on all of us like a physical force. To my right, Inspector Han sits motionless, his weathered face a mask of concentration, his fingers steepled under his chin.

Detective Lee clears her throat, the sound unnaturally loud in the hushed room. She begins, her voice steady but tinged with urgency.

"As you're all aware, this case has been transferred to us from the Gangdong Police Office. It's... complicated, to say the least." With a click of the remote in her hand, an image flickers to life on the screen behind her – the face of a middle-aged woman, her eyes tired but kind.

"Last month, a missing person report was filed with Gangdong Police," Lee continues, her gaze sweeping across the room.